Discount supermarket Aldi’s own label whiskies have been awarded SIX medals at the world renowned International Spirits Challenge (ISC), beating other brands costing over three times the price.
Aldi’s Highland Black 8 Year Old Whisky, priced at just £12.99, claimed a silver accolade, its sixth ISC medal to date. A rich blend of the finest grain and malt whiskies from Scotland, Aldi’s popular whisky pipped The Ardmore Traditional Peated to the post in the competition, which sells for £45.55. The Glen Marnoch Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (£17.49) and Glen Marnoch Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (£17.49) were also among the six Aldi products which bagged silver medals in this year’s competition.
Whisky has become a popular drink among Brits, with more than a fifth overall drinking whisky. The tipple is on a par with gin in terms of popularity for home-drinkers, with 12% opting to drink whisky at home over other drinks.
The awards are the latest triumph for Aldi whiskies; in 2016 alone, Aldi’s own label whiskies scooped 22 accolades from prestigious awarding bodies. The discount supermarket has continued to impress industry experts this year, with award totals now sitting at 28 accolades over the past 12 months.
Tony Baines, Joint Managing Director of Corporate Buying at Aldi, commented, “The UK’s perception of whisky has changed a lot over the past years.
“Our core range Highland Black 8 Year Old Whisky has always been a firm favourite amongst shoppers, owing to its high quality and fantastic value. This is reflected in its success in the 2017 International Spirits Challenge, alongside five of our other own label whiskies. Being awarded these accolades proves that whisky lovers can enjoy great value drinks without compromising on quality.”
Miles Beale, Wine and Spirits Trade Association Chief Executive Officer, added, “The spirit market in the UK is a very exciting time to be in just now. We are seeing consumers experiment with more and more spirits, especially with millennials. Whiskies fit into this category as a versatile and trendy product that also happens to be the base of the most popular cocktail in the world – the Old Fashioned.”
Earlier this year, Aldi’s own label Oliver Cromwell London Dry Gin achieved a silver award in the ISC Gin competition. The hotly anticipated ISC Brandy & Cognac and Rum categories will be announced in June, where Aldi hopes to gain some new additions to its trophy cabinet.
The full list of Aldi’s ISC award-winning whiskies is as follows:
· Highland Black 8 Year Old Whisky (Silver)
· Clarke’s Bourbon Whisky (Silver)
· Glen Marnoch Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Silver)
· Glen Marnoch Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Silver)
· Glen Marnoch Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Silver)
· Highland Earl Scotch Whisky (Silver)